The 2024 premiere of the dance drama Song of Everlasting Sorrow was held at the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, on March 15, officially kicking off this year's performance season.

The 2024 version of the dance drama Song of Everlasting Sorrow is staged at the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an. [Photo/en.xa.gov.cn]

This is 19th year of normalized performances for the show. In its entirety, the show has staged 5,000 performances and accumulated a revenue of 2 billion yuan ($277.9 million).

Various enhancements have been seen in the 2024 version of this show, including stage design, special effects, lighting props, and multimedia effects.

Notably, the implementation of the "lighting + stage design" format has elevated the immersive atmosphere, allowing the audience to experience the splendor of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

The show includes talented performers dressed in exquisite hanfu, traditional Chinese-style clothing. [Photo provided to en.xa.gov.cn]

During the 2023 performance season (from Dec 1, 2023, to Feb 29, 2024), a total of 207 shows were staged, attracting 514,000 visitors. This represented a 59.51-percent increase in attendance and led to a 110.61-percent growth in revenue compared to the 2022 season.

The Huaqing Palace scenic area will further improve its commercial model by introducing diverse formats to enhance its immersive quality, thus creating new highlights for the local nighttime tourism sector.

The dance drama attracts flocks of visitors. [Photo provided to en.xa.gov.cn]